Tropical Data: Approach and Methodology as Applied to Trachoma Prevalence Surveys.

Purpose: Population-based prevalence surveys are essential for decision-making on interventions to achieve trachoma elimination as a public health problem. This paper outlines the methodologies of Tropical Data, which supports work to undertake those surveys.

Methods: Tropical Data is a consortium of partners that supports health ministries worldwide to conduct globally standardised prevalence surveys that conform to World Health Organization recommendations.

Characterization of CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 Pharmacogenetic Variation in Sub-Saharan African Populations.

Genetic variation in CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 is known to impact interindividual response to antiretrovirals, nicotine, and bupropion, among other drugs. However, the full catalogue of clinically relevant pharmacogenetic variants in these genes is yet to be established, especially across African populations. This study therefore aimed to characterize the star allele (haplotype) distribution in CYP2B6 and CYP2A6 across diverse and understudied sub-Saharan African (SSA) populations.

The Coronavirus Anxiety Scale: Cross-national measurement invariance and convergent validity evidence.

Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) is a widely used measure that captures somatic symptoms of coronavirus-related anxiety. In a large-scale collaboration spanning 60 countries ( = 21,513), we examined the CAS's measurement invariance and assessed the convergent validity of CAS scores in relation to the fear of COVID-19 (FCV-19S) and the satisfaction with life (SWLS-3) scales. We utilized both conventional exact invariance tests and alignment procedures, with results revealing that the single-factor model fit the data well in almost all countries.

Mapping of Radiation Oncology and Gynecologic Oncology Services Available to Treat the Growing Burden of Cervical Cancer in Africa.

Purpose: To meet the demand for cervical cancer care in Africa, access to surgical and radiation therapy services needs to be understood. We thus mapped the availability of gynecologic and radiation therapy equipment and staffing for treating cervical cancer.

Methods And Materials: We collected data on gynecologic and radiation oncology staffing, equipment, and infrastructure capacities across Africa.

Association of biomarkers of enteric dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and growth hormone resistance with seroconversion to oral rotavirus vaccine: A lasso for inference approach.

Background: Rotavirus gastroenteritis remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality despite the introduction of vaccines. Research shows there are several factors contributing to the reduced efficacy of rotavirus vaccines in low- and middle-income settings. Proposed factors include environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), malnutrition, and immune dysfunction.

Mothers' experiences and perceptions about care provided during home deliveries in Alwa sub county, Kaberamaido district, Uganda- a qualitative study.

Introduction: In Uganda 27% of deliveries take place outside a health facility. The existing gaps in quality of maternal and newborn health care must be addressed for Uganda to attain its health targets and consequently its economic targets. Some of the gaps include but are not limited to; ill-equipped healthcare facilities in rural settings, inadequate client/customer care skills by healthcare providers, and health worker absenteeism especially in the night hours.

Modelling the burden of disease for cattle-A case of ticks and tick-borne diseases in cattle in a rural set-up in South Africa.

Background: The study aimed to estimate the burden of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs) among rural cattle-keeping households of the Eastern Cape province of South Africa using Productivity Adjusted Life Years (PALYs). We modified Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) equations for humans to PALYs to estimate the societal burden of tick-borne animal diseases. Whilst the World Health Organization has indicated the adaptability of DALYs to assess burden of animal diseases, nothing has been done in this regard.

The burden of non-communicable diseases among people living with HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasing among people living with HIV (PLHIV), especially in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We determined the prevalence of NCDs and NCD risk factors among PLHIV in SSA to inform health policy makers.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the prevalence of NCDs and risk factors among PLHIV in SSA.

Lymphatic filariasis in Zambia: A scoping review protocol.

Background: Zambia is among the countries making major progress in limiting cases of the neglected tropical disease lymphatic filariasis on the path to reaching global elimination targets. For this trend to continue, it is essential for strategies and policies targeting the disease in Zambia to be based on the most recent and relevant literature. The scope of research on lymphatic filariasis in the Zambian context is currently poorly understood.

Mapping of food environment policies in Zambia: a qualitative document analysis.

Background: The food environment in which people exercise food choices significantly impacts their dietary patterns. Policies that limit the availability, affordability, and access to unhealthy food while increasing that of healthier alternatives help build healthy food environments, which are required to address the double burden of malnutrition. This study aimed to assess the availability of food environment policies in Zambia.

Whole genomes from bacteria collected at diagnostic units around the world 2020.

The Two Weeks in the World research project has resulted in a dataset of 3087 clinically relevant bacterial genomes with pertaining metadata, collected from 59 diagnostic units in 35 countries around the world during 2020. A relational database is available with metadata and summary data from selected bioinformatic analysis, such as species prediction and identification of acquired resistance genes.

Global diversity and antimicrobial resistance of typhoid fever pathogens: Insights from a meta-analysis of 13,000 Typhi genomes.

Background: The Global Typhoid Genomics Consortium was established to bring together the typhoid research community to aggregate and analyse serovar Typhi (Typhi) genomic data to inform public health action. This analysis, which marks 22 years since the publication of the first Typhi genome, represents the largest Typhi genome sequence collection to date (n=13,000).

Methods: This is a meta-analysis of global genotype and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants extracted from previously sequenced genome data and analysed using consistent methods implemented in open analysis platforms GenoTyphi and Pathogenwatch.

Drivers of uptake of HIV testing services, a snapshot of barriers and facilitators among adolescent boys and young men in Lusaka: a qualitative study.

Background: Striking gender and rural-urban disparities highlight the need to redesign HIV services to improve HIV testing and linkage by adolescent boys and young men (ABYM) in sub-Saharan African cities.

Purpose: We sought to understand drivers of HIV testing among ABYM living in urban Lusaka in order to design a targeted intervention that may increase their entry into the HIV prevention and treatment cascade.

Methods: In May and June 2019, two male moderators conducted three focus group discussions lasting 1.

Strengthening adult mosquito surveillance in Africa for disease control: learning from the present.

Mosquito surveillance is essential to successfully control and eliminate mosquito-borne diseases. Yet, it is often done by numerous organizations with little collaboration, incomplete understanding of existing gaps, and limited long-term vision. There is a clear disconnect between entomological and epidemiological indices, with entomological data informing control efforts inadequately.

Improving measurement of tuberculosis care cascades to enhance people-centred care.

Care cascades represent the proportion of people reaching milestones in care for a disease and are widely used to track progress towards global targets for HIV and other diseases. Despite recent progress in estimating care cascades for tuberculosis (TB) disease, they have not been routinely applied at national and subnational levels, representing a lost opportunity for public health impact. As researchers who have estimated TB care cascades in high-incidence countries (India, Madagascar, Nigeria, Peru, South Africa, and Zambia), we describe the utility of care cascades and identify measurement challenges, including the lack of population-based disease burden data and electronic data capture, the under-reporting of people with TB navigating fragmented and privatised health systems, the heterogeneity of TB tests, and the lack of post-treatment follow-up.

Climate change and malaria: some recent trends of malaria incidence rates and average annual temperature in selected sub-Saharan African countries from 2000 to 2018.

Background: Malaria is still a disease of massive burden in Africa, also influenced by climate change. The fluctuations and trends of the temperature and precipitation are well-known determinant factors influencing the disease's vectors and incidence rates. This study provides a concise account of malaria trends.

Comparison of Kato-Katz, PCR and coproantigen for the diagnosis of taeniasis.

Four methods were compared for the diagnosis of human taeniasis caused by Fecal samples from persons living in a endemic region of Madagascar were examined for taeniid eggs by the Kato–Katz method. Subsequently, samples positive ( = 16) and negative ( = 200) for eggs were examined by (i) amplification of the fragment of small subunit of the mitochondrial ribosomal RNA (S) gene using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and (ii) a nested PCR of a fragment of the gene. Additionally, 12 egg-positive and all egg-negative samples were tested for coproantigen detection.

Impacts of seasonal flooding on geographical access to maternal healthcare in the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia.

Background: Seasonal floods pose a commonly-recognised barrier to women's access to maternal services, resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. Despite their importance, previous GIS models of healthcare access have not adequately accounted for floods. This study developed new methodologies for incorporating flood depths, velocities, and extents produced with a flood model into network- and raster-based health access models.

Confirmation by necropsy of a high prevalence of porcine cysticercosis in a rural district of Madagascar.

Neurocysticercosis is recognized as an important health issue in the Malagasy population. To date, investigations into prevalence of infection with the causative agent, , in the parasite's natural animal intermediate hosts, have relied on serological methods which have been found to be non-specific. We determined the prevalence of porcine cysticercosis among pigs from a contiguous area of the Betafo and Mandoto administrative districts, Vakinankaratra Region, Madagascar.

Provider perspectives on patient-centredness: participatory formative research and rapid analysis methods to inform the design and implementation of a facility-based HIV care improvement intervention in Zambia.

Introduction: Implementation of patient-centred care (PCC) practices in HIV treatment depends on healthcare workers' (HCWs) perceptions of the acceptability, appropriateness and feasibility of such practices (e.g. use of intentional, metric-driven activities to improve patient experiences).

Planned delivery or expectant management for late preterm pre-eclampsia in low-income and middle-income countries (CRADLE-4): a multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Background: Pre-eclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and perinatal mortality. Evidence regarding interventions in a low-income or middle-income setting is scarce. We aimed to evaluate whether planned delivery between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation can reduce maternal mortality and morbidity without increasing perinatal complications in India and Zambia.

Post-COVID symptom profiles and duration in a global convalescent COVID-19 observational cohort: Correlations with demographics, medical history, acute COVID-19 severity and global region.

Background: Post-COVID conditions are characterised by persistent symptoms that negatively impact quality of life after SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis. While post-COVID risk factors and symptoms have been extensively described in localised regions, especially in the global north, post-COVID conditions remain poorly understood globally. The global, observational cohort study HVTN 405/HPTN 1901 characterises the convalescent course of SARS-CoV-2 infection among adults in North and South America and Africa.

Recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings: a scoping review of current international guidelines.

Background: Hand hygiene is an important measure to prevent disease transmission.

Objective: To summarise current international guideline recommendations for hand hygiene in community settings and to assess to what extent they are consistent and evidence based.

Eligibility Criteria: We included international guidelines with one or more recommendations on hand hygiene in community settings-categorised as domestic, public or institutional-published by international organisations, in English or French, between 1 January 1990 and 15 November 2021.

Impact of beliefs on perception of newborn illness, caregiver behaviors, and care-seeking practices in Zambia's Southern province.

Despite reductions in the number of under-five deaths since the release of the Sustainable Development Goals, the proportion of neonatal deaths among all under-five deaths has remained high. Neonatal health is linked to newborn care practices which are tied to distinct cultural perceptions of health and illness. We assessed how community beliefs in Zambia's Southern Province influence newborn care behaviors, perception of illness, and care-seeking practices, using qualitative data collected between February and April 2010.